"As Jungkook and I researched how to transfer one's consciousness to another body, we met a man named Lucas Williams at a conference in America. He was a Korean American. He was very excited about our research because that was his field, and he wanted to help. We were very excited and let him join our research. The three of us began to grow very close. With his help, we made a breakthrough." Namjoon explains while Taehyung listens.
"I remember reading his name in the history book." Taehyung hums and nods his head.
"Well, it was uh it was horrible. There was a break in at the lab he was working in late one night. He was shot in the head which makes it difficult to even try to transfer the consciousness. What was even worse was that we were unable to retrieve anything because we found him too late. He had burned up in a fire set by the killer. Jungkook broke. He had lost another person that he was close to. What was even worse was that was the night Jin was attacked. Jungkook completely changed after that night. He started drinking heavily and began to ... to sleep around." Namjoon sighs towards the end with a sorrowful gaze.
"He has been through so much pain." Taehyung whispers and starts crying.
"Ciara was close to Lucas. They went to university together. She was also devastated by his death, so Jungkook brought her in to comfort her." Jin hums and looks in the direction of the office.
"Oh that makes sense." Taehyung sniffles and nods.
"However, that does not excuse her hurting you. You need to tell Jungkook." Namjoon tells Taehyung and gently hugs him.
"I don't want to add stress to him. If she hurts me again, I will tell him." Taehyung answers and snuggles closer to his friend.
"I'll beat her to a pulp if she hurts you again. She is clearly jealous." Jin huffs and crosses his arms.
"Who wouldn't want Jungkook though." Taehyung points out.
"He is definitely a catch. He is the wealthiest person and is very handsome and kind, but that does not mean that she can be a bitch and hurt you. Don't you ever forget that Jungkook has been doing all of this to find you." Jin reminds Taehyung and gently pats his head.
"I'll try to remember that." Taehyung whispers and smiles at Jin.
When Taehyung grows tired, he goes to the master bedroom and lies down. He silently looks out of the large window at the neon city glowing and flickering beneath him. Watching the glowing city from sci-fi movies slowly lulls him to sleep. As he sleeps, he feels warm lips trail along the back of his neck and hands run over his body.
"Jungkook? What are you doing?" Taehyung asks when he snaps awake.
"Hm?" Jungkook asks and slips his hands beneath Taehyung's clothes.
"Stop. Please stop." Taehyung tries to move away, but Jungkook's grip tightens around him. "Jungkook! Stop! Please! Stop!" He shouts and jumps off of the bed and stares at Jungkook with tears in his eyes.
"I am sorry. Did I hurt you?" Jungkook quickly asks and looks up at Taehyung.
"Please, don't touch me." Taehyung shudders and hugs himself.
"I am sorry. I won't touch you." Jungkook mumbles and moves to the edge of the bed to let Taehyung back on.
"I'm sorry. Being touched still scares me." The scared young man whispers as he carefully crawls back on the bed.
"Don't apologize. I should have never touched you without permission." Jungkook murmurs and gets out of the bed and leaves the room.
"I'm so sorry. Your touch scares me." Taehyung whispers and curls up on the bed and cries.
The next morning, Taehyung's swollen eyes and red nose terrify Jin and Namjoon.
"Tae, what happened?" Namjoon quickly asks and hugs Taehyung.
"I think that I hurt Jungkook." Taehyung cries and clings to Namjoon.
"Shhh, it's ok." Namjoon hums and gently rocks his crying friend.
"Can I go into one of my clones' bodies?" Taehyung asks and looks at Namjoon with big eyes.
"Sure. You can." Namjoon hums and gently cleans Taehyung's face.
If I am in a body that has not been hurt, then maybe Jungkook's touch won't scare me.
When they walk back into the room with his and Jungkook's clones, he stops and looks at the way the cryotubes are placed in the room. Taehyung's clones are clustered in the middle while Jungkook's clones protectively circle around the outside. From everything I have seen, you love me and are trying to protect me. I am so sorry that I am scared of you.
"Come lie down here." Namjoon softly tells Taehyung and points to an empty medical bed.
"Put this gown on." Jin hands Taehyung a hospital gown while Namjoon prepares everything to transfer Taehyung.
As Taehyung changes, Jin and Namjoon wince when they see his scarred body. "It will be nice to say goodbye to the scars that I thought were permanent." Taehyung smiles and puts the gown on.
"The emotional scars won't go away just by changing bodies." Namjoon reminds him.
"I know, but at least I won't have to see the scars every time I look in the mirror." Taehyung hums then lies down on the bed.
"That is very true." Namjoon smiles and begins placing the wires on Taehyung. "So, I will transfer you from this body to Taehyung Clone 1. It will take longer since this is the first time." Namjoon explains and smiles down at Taehyung.
"Okay." He nods and looks at his clone. "My clone looks older." He notices as he looks at the clone.
"Jungkook would update your clones as time passed by." Namjoon answers and looks at the clone. "Okay, I am going to place you under anesthesia. It would be traumatizing to transfer while awake. Your clone does not need anesthesia since it is in cyrosleep."
"Okay, I'm ready." Taehyung nods and takes a deep breath.
Once Taehyung is asleep, Namjoon begins the transfer of his consciousness. He and Jin pay careful attention to his vitals and the transfer. When it is complete, he turns off the equipment and quickly begins reviving Taehyung's new body from cryosleep.
When Taehyung wakes up, he looks around the room and smiles when he sees Jungkook standing next to him.
"How are you feeling?" Jungkook asks and gently pets his head.
"I feel fine." Taehyung answers and reaches up to touch Jungkook's face. Jungkook smiles and kisses Taehyung's hand.
"Let me help you out of there." Jungkook hums and helps Taehyung sit up.
When Taehyung's feet touch the ground, he slightly trembles and holds onto Jungkook for support. After a few seconds, Taehyung tests out his new body and walks around the room.
"I feel taller." Taehyung mutters and looks at Jungkook.
"You are taller now. If you had been healthy during your childhood, you would have reached this height. I grew you a body that you would have if I had protected you your entire life." Jungkook explains and gently smiles at Taehyung.
"Thank you." Taehyung smiles and gently kisses Jungkook.
"You are very welcome." Jungkook smiles and holds Taehyung in his arms. "I am so sorry, Taehyung. I have to go to a meeting. Ask Namjoon and Jin any other questions you may have." Jungkook apologizes then quickly leaves the room.
"What are you doing with my body?" Taehyung asks when he sees Jin and Namjoon rolling his body away.
"Come here. We will show you." Jin answers and waves him over.
When Taehyung walks over, he gasps in shock. In the corner is Jungkook's severely scarred body with many instruments attached to it. "What happened to him?" He asks and walks over to the body.
"He was caught in a fire when he was around 35. His lab caught on fire and the safety locks backfired and locked him in the building. He was in a coma for a while before I decided to transfer him to his clone. He was the first to ever be transferred. We had not studied it enough to know for sure whether it worked or not. We have kept this body for emergencies. There is a technology that keeps comatose bodies from aging without having to place them in cyrosleep." Namjoon explains while Taehyung gently reaches down and holds Jungkook's hand.
"You have been through so much. I am so sorry." Taehyung whispers with teary eyes and gently holds Jungkook's hand. "Does this body get pain medication?" He asks as he worries for Jungkook.
"No. Don't worry about the body. Jungkook cannot feel the pain." Namjoon softly answers and pats Taehyung's back.
"Okay. That is good. So, my first body will lie here next to his. I like that." Taehyung hums and looks at their two comatose bodies side-by-side.
As Jungkook works on some of his research in his home office, he hears a gentle knock on the door.
"Hm? Come in." He mutters and looks at the visitor.
"Jungkook, can I talk to you?" Taehyung asks as he walks into the room.
"Of course. Come in." Jungkook smiles and motions him over.
"Thank you. Thank you for surviving everything and waiting for me. You have been through so much." Taehyung cries and hugs Jungkook.
"Don't cry. It's okay." Jungkook hums and holds Taehyung in his arms.
"Thank you." Taehyung sniffles and looks into Jungkook's eyes.
"You are very welcome." Jungkook smiles then gently kisses Taehyung.
Taehyung hums and deepens the kiss as he tries to fight away the feeling of terror that is growing in his gut. Jungkook smiles and wraps his arms around Taehyung's waist as their kiss deepens.
When Taehyung pulls away from the kiss, Jungkook smiles at him and gently rubs circles with his thumb on Taehyung's waist. Jungkook, you have changed, but I want to change with you. I am more scared of losing you than anything else.
"What is wrong?" Jungkook asks and pats Taehyung's lower back.
"Nothing. I am just grateful to be with you." Taehyung smiles and leans into Jungkook's embrace.
"Me too." Jungkook hums and holds Taehyung in his lap.
As Jungkook holds him, Ciara walks into the office. She instantly glares at Taehyung when she sees him, but Taehyung refuses to move. I will only move if Jungkook tells me to. Unless Jungkook tells me to get off, Jungkook's lap is the place where I belong, not you.
"Is something wrong?" Jungkook asks as he continues to hold Taehyung in his lap.
"The shareholders were wondering when the next model of the android would be ready." Ciara answers as she still glares at an unwavering Taehyung.
"Tell them that it will be ready when Namjoon hyung and I are finished with it." Jungkook answers and dismisses her.
To Taehyung's delight, Jungkook lets him stay in his lap while he works. Taehyung was going to study art in university, so everything on Jungkook's screen is foreign to him. He looks at the screen with awe as Jungkook redesigns his research.
"That is really cool." Taehyung mutters and rests his head on Jungkook's shoulder.
"I'm glad you think so." Jungkook smiles and continues to work.
As Jungkook works, Taehyung begins to drift off to sleep. Once Taehyung is asleep, Jungkook gets up and carries him to their room. He carefully lays Taehyung in the bed then lies down next to him. Taehyung softly whines in his sleep as Jungkook pulls him close.
"Good night, Taehyung." Jungkook mutters and kisses the back of Taehyung's neck.
"Good night, Jungkook." Taehyung hums and rolls over and looks at Jungkook. "Sleep well." He whispers and pulls Jungkook closer and kisses his him.
"You too." Jungkook mumbles as their kiss deepens and his tongue flicks over Taehyung's lips.
Your touch has become foreign and unfamiliar, but I will get used to it. I promise.
When Taehyung pulls away, Jungkook pulls him back and rubs their bodies together. Taehyung tries his hardest to not push Jungkook away, but he feels like he is suffocating the further they go. He feels like screaming and hitting the man holding him.
"Can we stop?" Taehyung whispers and gently pushes Jungkook away.
"Sure." Jungkook answers and gets out of the bed then leaves the room.
"I am sorry." Taehyung sorrowfully whispers as he left alone in the room. "I am so sorry."
-photo edited by Lily-Sabrina.-